D-DAY veterans are being offered a free bottle of Dutch courage by a local landlord to celebrate their part in Hitler’s downfall.

Liberation Ale will be handed out freely to war heroes who regale the landlord of the Bull’s Head pub, in Meriden, near Coventry, with their tales of derring-do.

John Smedley hopes old soldiers will raise a glass of Thwaites’s beer to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

The invasion, which began on June 6, 1944, saw thousands of Allied troops storm the beaches of northern France – liberating that country and marking the beginning of the end of the Second World War.

Mr Smedley said: “To pay tribute to the men who played their part in landings, we would like to give D-Day veterans the opportunity to reminisce by offering them a complimentary bottle of Liberation Ale at the Bull’s Head.

“The D-Day veterans are very special and we would like to acknowledge their bravery by giving something back.”

Complimentary bottles will be handed out from Monday, June 22, in the lead-up to National Armed Forces Day on June 27.